I’m somewhat of a political junkie. I read a couple of newspapers each day, browse various websites and even listen to cable news programs on satellite radio. My wife is trying to get me to cut back but so far hasn’t found the patch.

I’m one of those shake-your-fist at the television types who has an opinion about anyone with an opinion. I have fiercely kept my voter registration as an independent for more than 25 years because that makes me an equal opportunity heckler. Living in Utah, being independent makes me something of a maverick. But it isn’t because I’m a non-conformist. I’ll go with the crowd as long they are headed in my direction. I can be a good sheep under the right circumstances. But I like to keep my options open.  I guess you could say I have a fetish for being critical of politicians of all stripes.

I’m also a huge fan of Christmas music and I’ve really enjoyed the project undertaken the past 18 months in building Merry Christmas Radio. I’ve expanded my personal collection of Christmas CDs for the benefit of the station and it has been a great enterprise.

Until today.

I made a bulk purchase of more than 100 Christmas CDs and they showed up on my doorstep today. I plan to sell the ones I have duplicates of and add as many of the others as I can to the library at MCR. But as I was gleefully going through the stacks of CDs that came in today’s shipment I came across one that immediately put a frown on my face: Barbra Streisand.

Let me first say that she has two strikes against her before I’ll ever crack the plastic on this CD. The first of which is as it should be: her so-called artistry. I have detested her as a performer since I was a little boy. When Mom would put her on the old Victorola, I’d cry.

Ok, I’m not that old and we never had a Victorola.

But I didn’t care for her.

At all.

She always seemed to be singing not only to herself but for herself and about herself. I have a real problem with people who have a bigger ego than me, I guess.

I was musically trained as a child and pursued it through young adulthood. It’s not like I’m ignorant on all things musical. I had enough training to admit that my knowledge of music was always greater than my talent. That’s why you’ll never see my mug gracing the cover of my own Christmas album. I think her so-called talent is exactly that: so-called. That’s strike one against her.

Strike two is evident right on the cover. Now, I know it’s not charitable to comment about a woman’s looks but we have to be honest here: Barbra…has a face made for radio.

That’s not the only critieria for liking or disliking a musical product though. Let’s face it: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty are much better on the speakers than on any type of screen.

But when you have the one-two punch of a lack of talents and looks, well, just how charitable do we have to be?

The kicker though is her voice. I don’t care if she is speaking or singing, the result is the same. Put that on speakers in my neighborhood and cats kill themselves.

Anyway, that’s three strikes and I digress. My point isn’t about Old Big Mouth. There is a point about Christmas in here, I promise.  

In running the Christmas radio station I have learned that I have to relinguish some of my good taste for the requests of the listeners. That’s why you’ll hear artists like Cyndi Lauper or the Squirrel Nut Zippers on Merry Christmas Radio. Christmas is for everyone, after all. And I have to admit that I’ve had some requests for B.S. — er, I mean Barbra.

But when my worlds of Christmas and politics collide I have a hard time. In the spirit of Christmas, I know I should just let it be and give old Noodle Nose a spin. But her politics are a very serious strike four in my book. Last I saw three strikes meant you’re out. Four means you’re ejected.

There are other whose political views are similar to Barbra’s that I’ve kept on the air. I’m sure there are many who are even more militant-rabid-feminist-chowderheads than old Babs is crooning away on my airwaves. I just don’t know about them because they haven’t cashed their checks of celebrity at my expense. If they keep it to themselves, there is no strike against them for it.

Take Bette Midler, for example. I can’t stand her politics either. But, for pete’s sake, the woman has talent. Her 2006 release of her long awaited Christmas album, Cool Yule, is terrific and I’m giving it a lot of play time. That should be proof enough of my Christmas cheer, right?

Christmas and politics don’t mix. I realize that. But politics are a part of the modern Christmas. Christmas means arguing over what carols you can or cannot perform in a school. It is about what is sacred and what is secular in a public display. It is why the term Happy Holidays has become nearly a curse to those who fervently espouse Merry Christmas.

But PC doesn’t belong to Barbra Steisand’s Christmas album on my Christmas radio station. It’s only fair. Maybe she could drum up some interest on tour with the Dixie Chicks.